Archive for the ‘Friends’ Category

Birthday party went quite well. It was at The Yard House. I had an amazing burger. And some fresh farmers market peaches with burrata, a little olive oil, basil and sea salt on them as a starter. That was actually heavenly. The raspberry semi-freddo with arrugula cookies for desert was not so great. (This desert was not by choice, but brought out by the house for the birthday gal.) It was much more freddo than semi and, well, arugula cookies? Really? Are you sure? Are Megan and James reading this? As cafe owners and operators (Of a fabulous spot in Alameda called THE BLUE DOT CAFE. Go there, now, if you are even remotely near the Bay Area. Seriously. Would I steer you wrong? ) ; as well as restaurant vets, am I wrong in saying arugula cookies are a bit too far? I am food adventurous. Really. I have come a long way since my youth (My entire family is laughing right now, because I was the very definition of a finicky eater until my twenties.) I am willing to try just about anything save sushi. I mean I’ve eaten it. Sushi’s just not my thing. I’ll eat it again and if past really is prologue, I may some day very well come to thoroughly love it; but arugula cookies? And semi-freddo that is rather brick like? Like throw through the window brick like? (It took two spoons holding it down for a third person to chip a hunk off to consume.)

Let’s be clear here. I’m not, nor have I ever been, even remotely finicky when it comes to all things sugar. I don’t have a sweet tooth. I have sweet teeth. All of them. If my life is, as I am known to joke to close friends, a series of developing addictions and realizing/endeavoring to quit them (Recent ones include iced coffee, cookies, and writing) then sugar will be the last one standing, because it was the first and it is the deepest. Writing comes very, very close. But Sugar predates my writing habit by a decade at least. Sorry, writing. So, what I’m saying, ostensibly, is that you could throw sugar on just about anything – bake it at 350 degrees and I’m going to probably love it. Even if I don’t. I’m not going to dis it. I’ll eat it and wish it were, say, a molasses cookie or chocolate chip even. So, you can maybe extrapolate from there the arugula cookie. I know we want to be forward thinking in our culinary imagination (Mr. David Murphy, are you reading this? Mr. David Murphy – former roommate, good friend, one half of the legendary Americana outfit COLD MOUNTAIN, dangerous poet, tuba player, and one of the world’s most dazzling, inventive, and talented chefs – could back me up on “forward thinking in our culinary imagination.” As a chef, David Murphy is straight up from the future, that’s how forward thinking he is when it comes to taste architecture) but sometimes don’t we go too far?

And so, what started as a review on walks, has quickly turned into our first negative review, here at Guided By Wire’s new Saturday Review, on Arugula Cookies.

So, I’m been meditating on/contemplating slowly and casually researching a more long term project in a different medium. As with many of my projects these days, some of it has to do with Chicago. A city, presence, and history that looms rather large in my mind the further and further I travel from it. I would love to infuse more Los Angeles into my work. I absolutely love the feel and rhythm of the city. But, for now, Chicago holds court for the most part. It gets the podium when it wants. Lots hours and miles and years traveled there. So there’s raw material aplenty and much of it is too beguiling to just ignore. As I’ve started to do more and more, in the early stages of research and circling something in my head, I tend to collect photos.

I’ve discussed how much I absolutely love and am drawn to the still photograph. How it represents a diving board for my imagination, one rooted in reality. A hair trigger to a story or a scene or an emotion that often spins into something else. So, today, rather than do some work or read, as I told myself I would do on what is probably my last day of vacation in a long, long time, I instead meander through the stacks and stacks of photo streams on Flickr, searching for images of Wicker Park, the neighborhood I lived in for nearly fifteen years in Chicago. Wicker Park has its history and I won’t quite get into here, yet. I’m sure I’ll wade into that hot button topic (in the years that I lived there, Wicker Park became ground zero/an international case study for the effects, both positive and negative, of Urban Gentrification) at some point when I do begin work on this project. (To be clear, it’s not a TV or Film project, so it’s clock is strictly my clock, so who knows when exactly that will be.) Simply what I mean to say before I roll out the photos is that in seeing these streets, where I not only lived, but also worked for so long. Spending my time locked up in this one stretch of Chicago, maybe one half of a square mile at best, twenty-four seven, at all hours of the day and night. That I’m struck by the grittiness of Chicago, compared with Los Angeles. That’s not to say L.A. doesn’t have it’s truly rough parts. Maybe it’s the constant sun, or the way the landscape breaks – whatever it is, L.A. doesn’t strike me as so compact and constructed and old. It doesn’t have the same rawness I see in these photos. Anyways. Here is Wicker Park, circa early 21st Century, about three years past the apex of the gentrification battle.

That's the Six Corners, formed by the intersection of Milwaukee, North, and Damen Ave. It's the heart of Westown, which is Wicker Park, Bucktown, and the Ukrainian Village. The road, North Ave, on the left, is a border between Bucktown and Wicker Park. I lived and worked within two-three blocks of this intersection for nearly a decade. That's downtown in the distance behind the Flat Iron Building.

The Coyote Building which is where the previous picture was taken from. The neighborhood's internationally acclaimed art walk takes its name from this building. The art walk is simply known as "Around The Coyote."

This is taken of the corners from the Flat Iron building. It also captures the Chicago, I recall most - overcast, rainy.

The main alleyway, off of Damen Ave. I can tell this is taken right at the mouth of the alley, which means if you look at the previous photo and locate the North Community Bank sign, next to the Blue Line El Platform, the photographer was just around the corner from there, a quarter of a block. I lived in an apartment that was two buildings down on the right and another one that was five buildings down on the left.

The Damen Ave El stop, which I lived several doors down, right across the park when I first moved to the neighborhood. Three stops and you're in the Loop. This is directly opposite the mouth of the alley in the photo above.

Outside the Double Door, a rock club next to the mouth of the alley. The Rolling Stones played here. Among many other big, small, unknown and friends bands. It's called Double Door because it has this door on Damen and another door on Milwaukee, just around the corner. That's big June, the longtime doorman. Whenever he was working I had an all-access pass. I used to raid there ice machine when ours down the street at Nick's would break down in the summer.

Some folks hanging on Milwaukee Ave, a couple of doors down from the corners. Looks like just outside Earwax Cafe.

This is inside Earwax Cafe. I knew Nick the own, through my fellow Wicker Park Ex-Pat, Brett. Earwax started out as a used CD/eclectic video rental/cafe/hangout spot. Fifteen years later is would evolve into an eclectic cafe with a progressive menu written up favorably in the NY TImes Sunday Section. Which was pretty cool to see.

Night time in the six corners. There are somewhere, or were, in the order of fifty or so bars, taverns, clubs, and dives - some of which saty open until 2 a.m., others until 4 a.m. in a fifteen block radius (if that) around the corners. This looks like an early week night. Pretty slow. I worked right in the heart of this for most of my doorman/bartending career.

Heilman Cold Beer signs. They're all over the place. Along with Pabst. Many, because of the Polish Heritage of the neighborhood, don't say "Cold Beer" they say "Zimne Piwo" which is cold beer in polish. Don't let the door hit you in the dupa on the way out!

The Pontiac Cafe, after my time there, which was the most infamous of bars and dives that I tended bar at. This is also the bar where I had my last drink. Served by Johnny Angel, who also got me sober. How do you like that for irony? In my time, we didn't have that plank/boundary thing - that was city mandated after it was discovered Buddy, the owner, didn't have the proper permits for it. in my day anything that was concrete was patio, so the patio was twice that area. Man, this place....It still defies words (not in a good way.) It's closed now. Which is as it should be. This is one building over, and on the other side of the El Tracks, from the Double Door picture above

Inside the Pontiac Cafe, at the corner of the bar, which was the place that you wanted to be. Guess who is standing, just to the left here? That's right. That's me. Beardless. Looking sharp. Must've been on my way out to dinner or something. It's almost ten years ago. I've definitely stopped drinking and all that, based on the people around me. I'm talking to Gina Black of The Blacks, a country-punk band and a Pontiac waitress. Crazy isn't it? I found this photo by accident on Flickr. I was startled to notice myself standing there. Seems like forever and a day.

Call it the Corona Del Mar effect. I say I’m gonna do something on the blog, but there’s an unplanned  twenty-four hour delay. It’s the relaxing atmosphere Stags and I cultivate when we’re together. That and the sweet ocean breezes. That helps, too.

Here we go. Tomorrow we have our first pitch. Jason and I are a bit jittery – but that’s more over getting in there so we can do what we do and get a feel for the rhythm of the real game. Tomorrow’s is at Warner Bros. Studios with the producer of Grand Torino, among others. The meeting was bumped up to Ten A.M. so that the man with his name on the door could join the pitch. That’s a good thing. Any time the steps between you and the actual decision makers are cut down, so much the better. This would be our agents or manager probably at work. I’m would bet my bottom dollar there’s some kind of connection. I know we share the same law firm, so that’s something. Anyways, instead of pitching to a CE (Creative Exec,) who then in turn pitches your idea to her Boss, who’s either the head of her department or company (in this case its company,) we get to leap frog to him directly now. The reason why this is better is that he might have a discretionary fund for development from the studio as part of his deal to park his company exclusively on their turf and provide for their pipeline. Which means, if he did (it’s not a given, but it’s a possibility), that the head of the company could lock up the idea with a paid option or outright purchase, before taking it to the studio. That sort of thing. Regardless, it’s one piece in the telephone game of pitching, which means less relying on someone else to regurgitate your idea in just the right way. Got it? Good. Here we go:

-THE WIRE, people. Watch it. All of it. Man, I should’ve listened to my brother years ago. THIS. IS. THE. GREATEST. SHOW. EVER! It’s almost too much to handle. Deadwood’s a close second, tied with Six Feet Under. But, NONE, of them touch The Wire. NONE! I’m on season three. It’s blowing my mind how rich, detailed, and authentic this whole story and characters are – not to mention how they slowly and perfectly grow the world of the story from season to season. Of course, when it’s Denis Lehane, Richard Price, and George Pelicanos on your writing staff, you’re doing good as far as crime writing goes.

- My second niece is off to college. Which, honestly, makes me feel kind of old. Sounds like she’s doing quite well from what I can tell on facebook. Her sister is a Junior and their younger sister, my goddaughter, just turned 16. They are all getting too old too fast. It’s not fair.

-We booked another pitch for next week today, which was great. It’s with a non-writing Co-Exec Producer on Breaking Bad. That’s pretty good.

-We’ve got five pitches total right now. Which, I think, is just the first set. Or, I would guess it is. What do we know? We’ve never actually done this before.

-The thing I’ve been dwelling on, savoring even, all day is this: In the past, if I scratched something together, it was usually to get one person possibly interested. One person who, as a long shot, MIGHT be able to make something happen. In other words, the very few times I got into this situation, it was a do or die situation. That one person or nothing. Tomorrow, walking into the first pitch their will be four more right behind it. None of it is do or die in the moment. We will get better as we go through the first run of pitches. We may be great tomorrow, but we’ll then become unbelievable. It’s strange, but this feels, despite all the rest of advancements this summer, and even before, like the biggest career advancement yet. This is exactly what we wanted when we were struggling with the deal that ultimately didn’t go through. This is really all you can ask for as a writer in this town – the chance to take your ideas to the market and  to write. We’re doing that. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

-Ten years ago was the most pivotal time of my life as I struggled through the biggest change in my life ever. A change that is still having an incredibly profound effect on my life every single day. I’m beyond fortunate to be here, in this city, just enjoying the sunshine and my friends, let alone to be in the midst of my greatest dream – living that, too. I don’t quite know what to say actually. There were many nights – long, hard ones – where I thought this was just not a possibility EVER. Not in my life. To be here. Well, I feel like I died and went to heaven. Thanks to all the angels that have carried, and continue to carry me here.

- Cardinals looks like they found their bats. A little help from the SF Giants and we might just climb back into the division race. One way or the other, it’s shaping up to be one helluva stretch run!

Okay. I’m gonna catch another episode of The Wire. Then I gotta catch some zzzzz’s. Big day tomorrow!

We had Jacob’s official birthday get together (you were SORELY missed, Tiff! Beyond any words!!) today over at Mar Vista park. I was baking the cake for this. Friends, and some of Jacob’s family (cousins, specifically) gathered. There was a bit of a picnic. Various UCLA theaterfolk, of course, came out. People brought food. There were a few babies in attendance. All in all, a lovely afternoon in the company of good friends and meeting new ones. The cake was a hit. It was almost completely consumed, which is the best way to tell. The afternoon ended with a rather long variation on kickball that featured no set teams, score, or specific competition. It’s difficult to describe, but it was fun enough that play went on for over two and a half hours. I was 0 for 3 from the plate, almost made a web gem when I was manning first, and pitched a good portion of the exhibition. For a bunch of actors, writers, and other fellow roustabouts we did not openly embarrass ourselves, which was promising. Then it was back to the homestead, a visit from Gilda the dog, and dinner followed by Mad Men. Not a bad Sunday. Tomorrow is chasing after some freelance writing gigs, getting down to brass tacks on the feature Jason and I have to write, and hoping we gain some new forward momentum with meetings on either the TV or Feature side, soon. I have to admit, I’m completely baffled as to the time frame we’re on, currently (it seemed all rush, rush, rush. Now, who knows?) I’m also feel deep into uncharted waters in terms of the writing career stuff and that kind of “blindness” (for lack of a better term) is really a process for me to manage. It takes effort, continual effort, and doesn’t seem to get easier as I work at it. In fact, it seems to grow harder. I feel so caught in between states and don’t know what exactly is the priority because of that. I thought it was writing (which, yes, I understand intellectually it always is; but I meant for the transition out of school, as opposed to getting set-up with more steady work outside the writing) now I’m not sure. Or its passed from that. Or, it hasn’t and I’m just not seeing it. All entirely possible. This isn’t exactly an area I can go off and research, like I’m used to. Instead, this is all about accruing experience, without losing my head, which can be painful and frustrating, but shouldn’t ever be defeating (I hope I’m made of stronger stuff than that.) Anyways, that’s where I’m at. Tomorrow is, as always, a brand new day.

Got to bake a cake today from scratch. It’s been some time since I’ve done any serious, for a bunch of folks baking. I gotta say I’ve missed it some. Definitely still out of sorts and getting tired of it. We did get the DVD’s up on the wall over the TV, which was the last project between both me and Jacob that was lingering.  That means that the DVD’s are out of my room and I should be able to finish the last little bit of setting up my room/office. Also have a lead on a few freelance writing gigs. We’ll see. Sometimes, you get fried on remaining hopeful while keeping your expectations low. It happens. This, too, shall pass. It always does and I just need to let it come and then go and not make it worse. On to the review:

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH VANILLA FROSTING

Mmmmmmmm!

One hundred percent homemade. No poseurs-from-a-box allowed in the B.O.H.

This, by the way is not the cake I baked today, though it looks a lot like it.

What better combo is there? I used to be a chocolate on chocolate guy. (Cecil’s Deli in St. Paul has the absolute greatest chocolate on chocolate three layer classic. That icing. Man! I’ve been trying for years to replicate that icing. I got in the ballpark once in Chicago, but I don’t know what I did.) But eventually, I migrated to the start contrast, born to melded in cake bliss forever combo of chocolate cake/vanilla frosting. Let’s take another look:

Callback: Mmmmmmmmmm!

I don’t even know what’s on top of that slice. Some kind of hat like icing decoration that is entirely unnecessary. The chocolate and vanilla just look perfect together, don’t they? And you know what? It tastes like one big Oreo. Which, come on, who doesn’t like that?

I utilize a recipe for a “Black Magic Cake” that I got off the internet. I’ve tried others. This recipe is by far the most moist and dense, chocolate flavored cake out there. Do not use instant coffee, as it calls for in that recipe. Do yourself a favor and either make or buy strong coffee. One cup’s worth is all you need (one measuring cup, not a mug.) The real, strong, bold flavored coffee makes all the difference in the world. Trust me. What you arrive at with it is a very moist, deeply flavored cake that’s really hard to overcook. The actual cake is beyond heavenly. As you can see, it’s a very basic recipe that can be whipped up (no pun intended) rather quickly and efficiently.

From the there I utilize a pretty standard homemade vanilla frosting recipe from an old cookbook that II got as a gift some years ago. The cookbook deals exclusively with the making of every kind of chocolate  cakes known to man. The cookbook is a wonderful resource. It’s by a woman by the name of Michelle Urvater, but the name of it escapes me at the moment. The recipe I use details the most basic vanilla except that I always put in extra Vanilla extract or actual vanilla bean, depending on. I like a nice, vanilla/sweet twang when you bite into the velvety cake.

Anyways. If you love cakes at all, make yourself one with black magic cake and vanilla frosting; then watch everyone flock to you!

The result: pure deliciouness. Okay, I’m gettingh/?

Yes, that was the name of a fabulous mid to late 80s sitcom. (Check out the list on “notable guest stars.” What a trip!)

It’s also, physically, something we all go through as kids.

But, what about through our adult lives? Certainly not physical, of course; but definitely emotional, right?

(That’s not meant as a rhetorical question – I’d love to hear what anyone has to say.)

I believe we do. I’m sure those that believe so as well, might be saying to yourselves: “Are you serious? Of course we do! Wake up, man! You’re falling asleep at the switch. Snap to, there’s more important things to discuss.”

But, slow your roll there for a second. I’m not talking about emotional growth. That is obvious. We engage life, our experiences accumulate, and enrich our emotional self. What I’m talking about are those sudden bursts that throb deep down. Not the gradual kind, that’s usually wisdom taking root in your life and blossoming through the years (if you accept as you grow older that you actually know less and less than you once thought you did and become curious to learn.) I mean those, sharp sudden (or even not so sudden) growth spurts that force you to stretch beyond what you were to what you are supposed to be. The ones you can’t see past right away, but know that everything will be different (even though you will still be you) when you finally realize you’re reached the other side of whatever is at the root of this paradigm shift in your heart of hearts. This last parts the important, tricky part. Why? Because you may never realize that you’ve reached the other side of this emotional growth spurt and therefore never achieve all that you could emotionally achieve in your life. (Which I think, just to slip this in is how you get to peace and contentment.)

I bring this up because, well, I didn’t think that it was fair that I do such an entirely baseball centric post (the previous post,) but also because I feel as if I’m coming to the cusp, potentially, of the other side of a huge emotional growth spurt. One that it may take me the rest of my life, at this point, to fully appreciate and grasp. I’m okay with that, btw. There will be others, but potentially none quite as prolonged and large as this latest one. I thought quitting drinking was a big one, but this latest emotional growth spurt takes that ball and runs with it another hundred yards. And while this spurt’s been painful (which, let’s face it, that’s all the physical ones you have as a kid can be), it’s also been beautiful (unexpectedly unrelentingly so, in hindsight,) overwhelming (in a good way) and enriching (in the best possible fashion.)  This one, I’d say, started some time back – before I came west maybe and might even be a series of profound emotional growing pains in .

More importantly, I bring this up b/c, as I wrote above, not everyone realizes they’re experiencing these growing pains – and therefore never truly grow from them. I’ve seen it in the past year more  than previously; yet it still catches my eye and makes me ponder the differences between people – strangers and confidants, fellow travelers and relations alike – even me now versus me then. What I often I learned when I retired from chasing different highs, that there’s a question that isn’t worth the trouble it takes to answer. That question is:  ”Why me?” Because I was willing and that’s that. Asking any more probing questions  along that line just isn’t necessary.

I’m ruminating on this tonight, because its been on my mind the past few months with everything going on. And because I’ve been thinking about those around me who are struggling to see the emotional growing pains in their lives right now, as well as embrace them and see where they g0. The amount of wrestling with themselves and self-sabotaging of their talents  and dreams=== it gets old and heartbreaking all at the same time. Why heartbreaking? Because there’s no good answer, or fix, to the “Why me?” train of thought that can sneak in and all too often does.

A close friend wrote me this in an email tonight loosely on this subject:

I think it’s the whole “We’re climbing, who’s climbing, too?” dynamic

I love the succinct picture in those words. It sums up perfectly what I’m fumbling around, attempting to convey in the paragraphs above. Alas, not everyone realizes they need to be climbing, taking risks, facing fear and growing. I know there was a long time when I didn’t realize that I needed to. So, I let my world collapse in on itself and became smaller and smaller and smaller. I guess, maybe, what I’m echoing in this post is the strangeness of seeing that struggle or lack of will in such different light than the bars of Wicker Park, USA.

I guess now would be the appropriate time to say Thank you to all those who helped me “wake up” and to say Good Night….

Here we are. Getting settled in Culver City/Palms and the new pad. Making my way in this crazy, mixed up business. Officially an M.F.A. It’s all a little weird still. I was just talking to a friend and classmate, who I hadn’t seen in awhile. He’s been out since winter quarter and went to New York this summer, as part of a festival, to stage a play of his – himself. He’s in the same, weird financial in between state that it seems those that are just graduating and getting some interest/work opportunities/rep meetings are all in. Too busy to really commit to a real job, but not really getting paid anything, at all – yet. I was relieved to see him because I had heard through the grapevine he might take a gig in D.C., which is one of the places he worked prior to coming west. Instead, he came back because it seemed like the wise thing to do. Anyways, we commiserated over the strangeness. I would say that the common theme is that its not a very comfortable position to be in. This is largely due to the fact that you have no clue where the whole endeavor is headed, or how long it might take to get there, and speeding the process up is mercurial at best or wholly out of your hands, normally. Yet, it can be exciting and it can all see like it’s about to come through – that elusive corner will be turned and you’ll be working….as a writer….just as you dreamed for so many years.

Anyways, suffice to say you keep your head up high, you work hard, you keep your expectations low, but your hopes reasonably high, you stay in touch and don’t isolate too much, you ask for help when you need it, and you look at each day as exactly that – a day in which anything can happen, but, when you close your eyes, you get to start all over again.

All right. That was a waaaay longer introduction than I expected. So, without further soapboxing, let’s get down to it! It is Friday night, after all.

-I’m going to say this once and try and leave it alone after that. How in the name of all that’s holy did David Freese incur a season ending ankle injury, on a heretofor uninjured part of his body, on a rehab assignment in double A ROUNDING THIRD BASE?!?!?! It’s like this kid has turned out to be the boy in the bubble! I’m afraid if the wind blows too hard when we visit Wrigley he might break a bone or blow away. It’s just unreal.

-If it weren’t for Adam Wainwright, I think the redbirds would be having a much, much different season. Waino is indeed Bueno.

-Jacob and I are watching DEADWOOD. He’s never seen it and I’ve only seen it once, when it aired. It’s been fascinating to watch it again. Man, did HBO screw up, or what, when they took it off the air prematurely? The show is beyond brilliant. Milch truly outdid himself and so did the actors. I’m floored by two things – first of all, Milch dumps every spark for the ENTIRE SERIES into the first four episodes. It’s amazing. There’s one major event, that in my mind I would’ve sworn before watching it, that it had occurred in season two. I mean I would’ve bet good money. Season two, Doc? Try episode two! My jaw was on the floor. I had no recollection it had come that early. I was blown away.  (And I’m not the only one, I was talking to a writer-friend the other night and he’s rewatching it to and had the same reaction)

-We have a lot of projects in play right now. Lots kind of hopping around. It’s nice to have this TV stuff vaulting ahead of the pack. It’s all pretty cut and dry, which is good. But it would be lovely to knock some things off our plate. One thing I think we’re learning is that once something gets on your plate? It’s really hard to get it off, even if it’s going nowhere.

-Jacob’s a big fan of THE LAST WALTZ, too. That means he’s really good people.

-We have a pretty kick-ass apartment. I wake up and can’t quite believe how well it all worked out, and we seem to be falling into a good rhythm. I have to say I was against Culver City when I first moved to L.A. for some reason. The one time I had visited years earlier, I had stayed with a friend in Culver City; but never got a good grasp of the place and it seemed real scattershot – one block was cool, the next was rough. I could get that in Chicago, I wanted something different. But, Culver City is pretty awesome. It helps our apartment is so excellent, but downtown Culver City, while not huge, has some neat restaurants and bistros and cafes. It’s got a good feel to it. And, the Albertson’s? The best grocery store, I’ve seen in years. I was actually surprised. It’s a vast place. It even has some bulk foods like whole foods. A-Ma-Zing!

-Did I tell you about the new Swell Season record yet? Well, why aren’t you listening to it right now! The new Arcade Fire’s pretty good, too. Though it’s early.

-I’m a notoriously bad unpacker. Like I leave boxes unpacked for months after a move. It’s a really bad habit. SO, here’s a reminder to myself to push through and finish the job this weekend. There’s hardly anything left and I’ll be a happier man if I do.

-We’re thinking about getting some plants. We get great light and we’ve got some perfect spots for them. Any suggestions? (Preferably low maintenance, but not cacti!)

-Can you believe David Freese?!?!

-I’m quite excited that I’ll be doing more cooking here at the new joint. I’ve already busted out the risotto witch is my fast and easy dinner – through some chicken and peas in there, or beef, some parm and away you go. But, over the long haul, we’re talking BBQ, we’re talking Slow Cooker, we’re talking the whole nine yards. Which is good. It’s been awhile. Plus, it’s the type of place where I could have some friends over and it would be comfortable. (I owe some folks some home cooked meals.) We’ve even got enough room and seating to have movie nights for a select few folks.

I think that’s about it for this week’s edition of randoms. Be good to yourself. I’ll be back to regular posts tomorrow.

Started the move tonight after a long, long (but good day.)

So, may be out of commission for a day or two.

A little business first: Happy Birthday to the Howley July Birthdays. There’s a little birthday week long festivus going on right now in Virginia.

Also, Happy Birthday to my niece, Ellen. (Card’s coming, dear!)

Had an awesome meeting today with our new TV Lit Agent. All systems go on the TV side. We have a few new ideas. She loved one we haven’t written, but worked out the details and story/characters for. She wants to get us out there, full blitz pitching to TV Producers, when the development season officially opens for business in about two weeks. She believes strongly we can sell the idea and get paid to at least write it. If it goes to pilot, or makes it on the air – wonderful. If not, we’ll make some money, get our feet wet, and meet many of the Execs and Showrunners we need to meet to open doors for staffing next season and getting our other TV pilots off the ground. We’re slated to practice our pitch with her, hopefully next week or so, then out the door we go. To further underscore this, our Manager sent over NBC’s “shopping list” for development season – essentially based on what they already have, what they feel they need for the season. It was a very nuts and bolts, short list with very specific angles on what they hoped to buy (of course, all wish lists are subject to change at any given moment if a super hot idea rolls in the door and the writers just blow everyone away with it.)

So, that was good. Hopefully we’ll keep this engine running at full throttle right into paid, legit work. After the meeting, we headed over to the Universal lot to have lunch at The Grill with a Desperate Housewives Senior Producer/Writer, who happens to be friends with Jason – their kids are the same age and go to the same school. He was kind enough to give us some time and provide us with some great wisdom. He’s been in the biz for some time and has been quite successful. Again, it’s always fun to visit a lot and have lunch.

So, that’s about all for now. Back to the move.

Went to see SALT tonight by the venerable Australian director, Phillip Noyce, starring Angelina Jolie and Liev Schrieber. I highly recommend it – especially if you love thrillers and spy thrillers, in particular (as I do.) It’s a classic action-thriller centered on a female spy and delivers on all accounts. I was impressed by how it embraced its genre and charged ahead, delivering a story and experience that didn’t try to hide what it was – exciting and entertaining, a great Saturday night movie with friends. (Thanks Mike for treating with 3 yr old passes that still worked!) Too often, lately, I feel as if genre movies – especially more conventional genres like the spy-thriller, or the action-thriller, feel embarrassed by the act of entertaining, and therefore feel the need, often unnecessarily, subvert their conventions. Which, if done poorly (as so often is the case), or if their are too many cooks in the kitchen, ruins the entertainment factor in the story (Yes, I’m looking at you KNIGHT AND DAY.)  So, check out SALT. Jason has a good, to the point post on some of the other cool aspects of SALT, namely that its another original story, instead of a knockoff or adaptation of a game, which is doing gangbusters at the box office.

Not much else going on. Just work, though today was a bit of an unplanned day off. I traveled down to Anaheim and the Disneyland Hotel to steal a few hours with my sister and brother-in-law, Caroline and Kent, who were in town with my nephews, Sam, Will, and Jack (everybody’s getting so big!) to tackle the Disney experience. We sat by the Neverland Pool while the boys swam and caught up a bit. It was wonderful to see them. I wish we’d had more time, but that just means I need to plan a trip to see them, once I get everything ironed out.

Hello and welcome to Limboville where everyday there’s a food truck to delight your palate and a movie to catch on the flat screen, but only after you finish your writing for the day!

Jason and I have fallen into an excellent routine, as you can tell. I know he misses the fam and is probably, as I mentioned, tired of sleeping on my couch; while I am starting to think more and more: “Wow, I’m supposed to move in ten days or so, Jacob and I should find a place!” Meanwhile, we carrying on with the task at hand which is trying to discern what are marching orders are, while prepping for whatever those marching orders might be – which means clearing the deck of as many of our writing commitments as we can, so that we can leap into whatever comes, right when it comes, free and clear. We really have kept the pedal to the meddle and seamlessly pounded away on various projects. Jason and I aren’t usually in the same room, let alone this long, as we work; so it’s been interesting to see that nothing in the process – or the quality – changes with the difference in physical proximity. I didn’t really expect it to, but still good to see.

Onward to the main event:

- Saw INCEPTION. Yes, Christopher Nolan is a Cinematic God. Yes, I was blown away by the movie. (It was a heist set in someone’s dreams!! This is my kind of story!!) But, I’m not sure it’s for everyone – so be forewarned. If you can maintain an open mind – I think you’ll love it, too.

-We got our first phone call from the Agents today. Pretty surreal experience. Just right out of the blue. Suddenly we’re on the phone with them. It was a great sign though – means they’re moving fast and eager to put us out there. They seem to be on full offensive mode.

-We were watching the Cardinals-Phillies (a.k.a. the Home Run Derby) and the sound was up when they called. Jason’s a big Phillies fan and if you don’t know who I was rooting for, then I don’t know what to tell you. We were deep into work on two different projects, too. So, the call became a bit of a slapstick moment. Jason got the call first on his cell and didn’t know how to turn down the volume on the TV, so dashed out of the apartment to the courtyard, where I was leaving a message for my dentist. I didn’t quite have time to ask what the issue was, because then my other line on the cell went off and I found myself in a conference call with Jason and everybody else. Made us both laugh afterwards.

- The Agents were calling because they have a TV Agent at UTA. She’s young and, according to research, a very up and coming Agent – but established with some good mid and higher level TV Writers on her client roster. Some of which included the co-creator of HUNG (on HBO), writers on MODERN FAMILY, BREAKING BAD, THE SIMPSONS, and THE BIG BANG THEORY to name a few. We’re excited to meet with her. That’s what the unexpected call was for. Our guys, Ramses & Mike have been talking us up to a few different partners and fellow agents since we came on board last Thursday. They got this agent to read BOSS and she flipped for it. So, we’ll meet with her this week.

- Also, we learned towards the end of the day that our scripts would be going over to UTA to be read. Which means a game plan is being formulated by everyone. The fact that the scripts went over from our manager’s office to UTA was a good, early signed. If either one was way off base, they would’ve come back to us with notes. So, we were relieved. Hopefully the Agents will like them and we’ll barrel full steam ahead.

-To sum up, this is all really fantastic movement. Much faster than we expected, actually. All the reps really seem to be on fire – determined to make something happen sooner rather than later, which is great. It’s put Jason and I in a weird, but wonderful place, where there’s almost daily movement on things – which is exciting and promising and nerve wracking. It won’t always be like this, or course, but for getting the plane (re:our career) off the runway, it really means a lot to have UTA setting such a quick pace.

-The down side is that Jason’s stuck here for a bit longer, at least, and I don’t know if I’m moving or not, now; let alone able to look for a job. Which has been interesting. We’ll see. We both need to assess how things go and were we’re headed in the short-term. The TV Agent could also send us out on a bunch of meetings. So, everything might become even more crazy here shortly.

-Jacob and I had thought we’d found a place. But the landlord came back to us tonight requesting first and last month’s rent, plus an additional months rent up front as security deposit. How much would that come to? $4800 split two ways. The reason? Supposedly b/c I had just been signed and he was afraid that I would make a ton of money all of a sudden and move out in six months, leaving him hanging. #OnlyInHollywood.

- Finally tracked down the elusive Buttermilk Food Truck this morning for breakfast. It may very well be my new favorite. Red Velvet Pancake Bites with chocolate chips and a vanilla custard on top, plus an egg-bacon-biscuit sandwich that was beyond heavenly? Count me in!

-We’re headed to have lunch tomorrow on the Disney Lot with a friend who’s a Writer’s Assistant on BROTHERS & SISTERS and an extremely talented writer-producer, as well. Always fun to visit friends on a lot and eat in the commissary.

-Cardinals are 5-0 since the all-star break. Will they keep it up, or is this a big tease?

That’s about it. Until tomorrow!